Syria: ICRC still attempting to enter worst-hit areas of Homs

22-06-2012 Operational Update

A joint ICRC/Syrian Arab Red Crescent team attempted on 21 June to enter the old city of Homs where hundreds of civilians are in desperate need of help. Before they got to their destination, the team decided that the conditions necessary for them to carry out their mission were not met and returned to Damascus.

The aborted mission follows a 19 June call from the ICRC for a temporary pause in the fighting so the organization could evacuate and assist people stranded in several parts of Homs. The Syrian authorities and various opposition groups had given their approval to the operation.

The team will be making further attempts to enter the most affected areas of Homs, such as the old city, al-Qarabees, al-Qusour, Jurat al-Shayyah and al-Khalidiya, but it is currently not possible to say when this will be feasible. The ICRC is now starting to re-establish contact with all sides, to enable these much-needed aid deliveries and evacuations to take place.

The ICRC once again calls on all those involved to allow the wounded and sick to receive the medical care and attention they require, and to ensure that civilians do not suffer the effects of the fighting.